He nodded. “He was testing a spell that would help him do that. He’d never used it before and wanted to test it on people. He’d hoped to capture you as well, but I don’t think he expected you to go into the city. That upset his plan.”

  “He didn’t realize I had a blade that would get me in.”

  Alton shook his head. “He didn’t. Nor did he realize the blade could wound him. It saved your life.” He looked at Del and Cass. “And theirs. And mine.”

  “So, we rescued you and saved the black orb, which is now locked up safely in the Vampire Realm, being studied by their smartest scholars. Does that mean he can’t deploy his spell against the dragons?” I phrased it as a question because it sounded too good to be true.

  Alton frowned. “No. Unfortunately not. He proved his spell worked. Now he just needs to get another magical battery like the black gem.”

  “Damn it.” I’d been expecting that—this wasn’t nearly over yet—but it still sucked. “Does he have another battery?”

  “Not yet, but soon. There’s one other that he is trying to get, but he didn’t think about it in much detail. I’m not sure what it is, but I don’t think he has it quite yet.”

  “But he’s on the path to finding it?” I asked.

  “Yes.” Alton nodded. “And he’ll also hunt other FireSouls. He’ll need more of us to steal the power from the dragons.”

  “So FireSouls have to be on the alert,” Ares said. “Keep to your realm where he can’t get to you. We’ll protect the ones on Earth.”

  “There are more than we know about,” Cass said. “Not just us.”

  “But he wants us for the final spell,” I said. “He may not threaten the others.”

  “Then we’ll have to be careful,” Del said.

  “We’ll help you,” Alton said. “However you need.”

  Mordaca and Aerdeca joined us, coming to stand next to Corin and Fiona.

  “You know we’re in,” Mordaca said.

  “We can help, too,” Bree said.

  Ana nodded.

  My mother, who stood behind Bree, just smiled. I smiled back, knowing she’d be there for us. As would my father. Ares squeezed my hand.

  My heart thumped in my chest. Everyone here was in this together. Despite the danger and the risk, they’d be there when I needed them. And I was going to need them. What we were facing… It was bigger than all of us alone. It didn’t matter if I was ready to fight what was coming, because it was coming whether I was ready or not. We may have beaten Drakon today, but there was a bigger fight waiting on the horizon tomorrow.

  Epilogue

  The forest was quiet when I arrived at the outskirts of Elesius. With Drakon’s spell broken, I could now enter at will without slamming into a wall.

  I’d come alone, desperate to find the forest spirit who had helped me. The woods were quiet, as usual. Without life, there wasn’t much to make sound. Just the dead trees keeping vigil.

  “Hello?” I called.

  There was no response. I started walking, running my fingertips over the bark of the trees as I passed. The death in this place still made me cringe. I’d never get used to it.

  Jeff appeared next to me. He was still small, and he blew fire happily from his nose.

  “Not here!” I said. “This place is just kindling.”

  “That it is.” The voice came from behind me.

  I turned. The forest spirit stood there, looking just as she had before. Beautiful and serene, wearing the same long, white dress. I seriously doubted that her wardrobe was of much concern to her. She drifted toward me.

  Up close, the leaves that made up her hair looked delicate and fine.

  “You’re the ghost of this forest, aren’t you?” I asked.

  She inclined her head. “I am.”

  “But you weren’t always a ghost. You looked more solid in my dream.”

  “I’ve always been a spirit. But as the forest has died, I’ve faded.”

  “You mean, as I’ve sucked the life out of you.”

  She smiled. I should’ve felt malevolence coming from her, considering that I’d killed her. But I felt nothing of the sort. Just calm acceptance. “This was my fate.”

  “I don’t want it to be your fate. I don’t want Elesius to die because of me. I don’t want you to die because of me.” My heart twisted.

  Jeff blew fire, clearly disconcerted.

  There had to be something I could do. I had to try.

  I reached for her, slowing my hand as it neared her shoulder. She looked at me, brows raised. But she didn’t stop me, so I touched her shoulder.

  She felt dark—if it were possible for someone to feel that way, at least. I didn’t know what it was, precisely, but it sucked.

  I tried feeding some of my magic into her. It flowed slowly, in fits and starts.

  “Don’t!” She pushed me back. “You need your magic.”

  “It’s not finite.” I looked at Jeff. “Especially now that I have him. I’ll regenerate it.”

  “You need it.”

  “Let me just try to give you a little.” I reached out and touched Jeff. Warmth and power flowed into me. “See? He’s helping.” I had no idea the extent of the little dragon’s magic, but it was definitely helping.

  She frowned, studying us. Finally, she nodded.

  I touched her shoulder again, this time feeding her more of my power. Jeff helped, making it flow faster and fuller. Her cheeks began to glow. She smiled.

  Then she pulled back, panting. “That’s enough.”

  Around me, the trees trembled. My heart thudded. I braced myself.

  Tiny green shoots of grass poked up through the forest floor. They were sparse and thin, but they were definitely there.

  I gasped. “Do you see that?”

  The forest spirit stared with wide eyes. She looked up at me. “You are magnificent.”

  I blushed, then looked back at the grass. It waved in the slight breeze, a beautiful bright green. Hope flared in my chest. Elesius was coming back to life.

  ~~~

  Forged in Magic, Nix’s last book will be out in late September. Turn the page for an excerpt.

  Or, if you haven’t had a chance to read Hidden Magic, the Dragon’s Gift series starter, you can get it for free by signing up for my newsletter.

  Forged in Magic

  Dragon’s Gift: The Protector Book 5

  1

  As a supernatural, I was used to the fantastic.

  Sanaria, the main city in the Vampire Realm, took the cake, however. I’d only been here five minutes and I was already wowed. Ares and I had just parked his motorcycle on the outskirts of town and had walked onto the main street. I stopped on the sidewalk, taking it all in.

  I whistled. “When you said there were no cars in the Vampire Realm, I wasn’t expecting vampire horses pulling floating carriages.”

  They trotted down the street, fangs gleaming white in the moonlight. More bustled through the narrow road, each wearing a feathery headdress. Equine opera singers. The carriages were done up, too, bedecked with all different colors and a variety of trims.

  Ares took my hand and pulled me along. “Come, the Illuminarium is waiting.”

  “Yeah, you’re right.”

  We’d come here to meet with the Vampire Realm’s institution of knowledge—not for me to gawk. After we’d saved Elesius from Drakon two days ago, we’d given the Illuminarium the power source that Drakon had used for his evil spell. They’d contacted us a couple hours ago, and I was crossing my fingers that they’d discovered something useful.

  While I followed Ares, my attention was on the city around me. The buildings were four stories high, fabulously ornate structures built of white stone that reflected the moonlight, making the whole town glow. Street lamps full of lightning bugs gleamed golden and bright. Strands of fairy lights decorated the buildings and stretched high above the street. They were made of lightning bugs, too.

  “Vampires like light,” Ares said, clearly having noticed my interest.

  “It’s fabulous. But do the bugs like it?”

  He laughed. “It’s a spell, not real lightning bugs.”

  Whew.

  We reached a busier street with more foot traffic, squeezing in on the crowded sidewalk. For the first time in my life, I was surrounded by vampires. They didn’t come to the human realm often, so it was a bit disconcerting. Especially since some of them seemed to be looking at my neck. Ares might’ve been highly cautious about not drinking my blood, but were they?

  I shivered, pressing closer to Ares. Only then did I realize that they were moving deferentially out of our way.

  “They’re impressed that you’re the Enforcer, aren’t they?” I asked.

  He shrugged slightly. “Yes.”

  “That must be annoying. Is that why Doyen and Magisteria spend so much time hanging out alone at their thrones in the woods?”

  “I believe so. Some things do not change quickly in the Vampire Realm. Not just the horses and carriages, but the awe of authority.”

  “That must be exhausting.”

  “It is.”

  A huge building loomed at the end of the street, reminding me of Buckingham Palace or the Taj Mahal—big, white, and fancy. But with a magical twist, as more of the firefly lights glittered around the top domes.

  “That’s the Illuminarium,” Ares said.

  “Impressive.”

  We sailed through the crowd, which parted like the Red Sea. When the Pūķi swooped out of the air to join us, their fiery red forms hovering above, people’s gazes turned from curious to awed. And they were aimed right at me.

  “Why are they looking at me like that?” I murmured.

  “Not used to seeing the Pūķi, which are clearly following you.”

  Which made me special. That could be both good and bad, depending. Since my specialness was related to me defeating Drakon and saving the world’s magic, I was going to go with sorta bad. It was a weight that I didn’t want on my shoulders. But the only way to remove the weight was to succeed.

  I hurried my pace, determined to make use of every minute we had. With Drakon always a step ahead of us, I needed to use my time wisely.

  The Illuminarium loomed overhead as we approached. The road led right up to the gate.

  The intricately twisted wrought iron was beautiful, forming swoops and swirls that would keep out intruders while impressing the hell out of them. Beyond, fountains shot out of the ground, synchronized jets of water that glinted in the moonlight. A hundred yards away, the white building gleamed.

  “Your culture idolizes knowledge,” I said.

  “Yes. It’s the best way to ensure a safe and happy life.”

  “How do we get in?”

  “This way.” Ares pressed his hand to the iron gate. Magic glowed, then the gate swung open.

  Power sparkled across my skin as we stepped through the wide opening. I couldn’t quite pinpoint it, but it was both eerie and nice at the same time.

  A row of fountains led straight to the building fifty yards away. Hundreds of jets of water shot up and splashed down. Between them, shadowy white figures drifted. Almost like ghosts in robes.

  “What are they?” I whispered.

  “Memories of knowledge,” Ares said. “They are what help give this place its magic.”

  They ignored us as if we weren’t here, hundreds of them. “Why wasn’t I able to see them before?”

  “They’ve chosen to reveal themselves. It’s a good sign.” He glanced down at me. “Not everyone is permitted entrance to the Illuminarium.”

  “Why?”

  He shrugged. “Not everyone is worthy.”

  We passed by the ghosts and the fountains, finally reaching the massive steps that led up to the entrance. The architecture was so odd—a combination of many styles. Ancient Greek, Northern European, Indian. As if the builder had taken his favorite styles and smashed them all together.

  We climbed the stairs. Huge wooden doors swung open, permitting us entrance to a round room built entirely of white stone.

  “They sure do like their white here,” I murmured.

  Ares chuckled.

  In the middle of the room, a basin of water sat on a pedestal. There was nothing else. Not even a door. It was deadly silent.

  “Where’s the door?”

  “I don’t know.” Ares inspected the space. “This room changes for everyone who enters.”

  I walked around the perimeter, searching for a hidden exit. After a few minutes, it was clear that there was none. “No one is coming to greet us, are they?”

  “It doesn’t seem that way.”

  I shivered, the energy in the air making my skin prickle. It was almost expectant. As if we were being watched.

  I turned back toward the center of the room. Ares stood next to the fountain in the middle, gazing into the depths.

  I stepped toward him, and the room went black.

  My hair stood on end. “Ares?”

  No response.

  “Ares!”

  Silence.

  Heart pounding, I called upon my magic, envisioning a torch. But none appeared in my hand. My conjuring wasn’t working. I tried again, forcing all of my power into creating a torch. Or a weapon.

  Nothing.

  My magic was dead inside me, like the ghosts out in the courtyard.

  Real fear swept through me, chilling my skin. I reached out, stumbling forward. “Ares!”

  Silence.

  He really wasn’t there.

  My heartbeat thundered in my ears, nearly drowning out the sound of lapping waves.

  Lapping waves? There was water here?

  The sound came from all around. I squinted into the pitch black, desperate to see.

  There was nothing but blackness and the sound of the water. Slowly, I walked forward, arms outstretched.

  My foot splashed against water. My throat tightened, making it hard to breathe. From the lapping of the waves, it sounded like I was surrounded. I bent, dipping my fingertips into the water. The scent of sulfur tickled my nose as pain sliced through my hand.

  “Ah!” I jerked my hand back, shaking it and panting hard. The burn was like acid, eating away at the tips of my fingers. Tears prickled my eyes.

  Holy shit. I was surrounded by an acid sea.

  I’d only ever heard of such things.

  I stumbled back from the water, mind racing. Again, I tried to conjure a torch or a light. But nothing happened.

  There was a reason for this. It wasn’t random. And there would be a way out.

  I would find it.

  I dragged in a ragged breath, forcing my mind to calm. What had Ares said about this place? That not everyone was permitted to enter here and that the place changed depending on the person.

  Me.

  And it stopped me from using my magic.

  Which made it a test. But of what? Not of my power or my magical strength.

  Something else, then.

  A sharp cry rent the air.

  A baby.

  I spun, frantic, but could see nothing. The cry came again, the loud squall of a baby in distress. A really young baby.

  My heart thundered as thoughts raced through my head.

  The cry came again, sharper and higher. To my left. Not far. Danger pricked on the air, a threat so strong that it stung my skin. I couldn’t tell what it was, but it was going for the child.

  I raced toward the cry, my boots splashing into the acid sea. How long would the leather protect me? Would I have to swim to the baby? Could I even survive that?

  The cry—sharper now. I gritted my teeth and stepped deeper into the water.

  A warm red light glowed, temporarily blinding me. I blinked. The room was lit with red light, enough for me to see that there was a stone path through the acid sea, just to my left. Near it, a bassinet floated on the water, like something from myth or legend. All around, the sea stretched out, tiny ripples breaking the surface. The room had no more walls, and the patch of land upon which I stood was the size of my living room.

  Overhead, the Pūķi fluttered, their glowing scarlet bodies providing the light.

  “Thank you.” My voice was desperate, tinged with tears.

  I raced for the pathway made of stones jutting from the water. Quickly, I leapt across, heading for the bassinet. It looked to be sinking, slowly dipping deeper into the water as the acid cut into the wicker.

  The squalling of the child chilled my skin. I moved faster, teetering on the stones as my haste made me clumsy.

  Panting, I reached the bassinet, grabbing the handle and swooping it up. The pale red light of the Pūķi illuminated the interior of the bassinet.

  Empty.

  The crying stopped.

  My shoulders sagged.

  Definitely a test, then.

  All that fear for nothing. I almost tossed the bassinet back into the sea, but then clutched it to my chest. That seemed disrespectful, and in all the ancient tasks, disrespect was punished.

  Holding the bassinet, I spun in a circle, balancing on my rock, muscles straining from tension.

  “Where next?” I asked the Pūķi. The stone path led into the distance in one direction and back to shore in the other. I had to choose.

  The Pūķi had nothing to say. Instead, they fluttered overhead, dragon lanterns that kept me from plunging to a terrible death.

  “Since I know where I’ve been, I might as well go somewhere new.”

  With the bassinet clutched to my side, I turned and hopped across the stones that led into the blackness.

  “Ares!” I called.

  No response, just the lapping of the waves against the rocks upon which I stood. Worry tightened in my chest, but I forced it away. It wouldn’t help me finish this. And Ares could take care of himself—I had faith in that. This was probably just a test for me, anyway.

  Finally, I caught sight of land just ahead. Flat and rocky, just like where I’d come from. Except that my stone pathway stopped about ten feet short of the shore.

  I couldn’t jump that.

 

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